I still have a few rosé wines left to poke at for the summer, but since my bottle of the Sand-Reckoner rosé is earmarked for a Nebbiolo podcast to happen at a later date… I decided to drink something a little different. Besides, you all know me, I can’t say no to Malvasia. With that in mind, I decided to trek to the Verde River near Perkinsville and crack open my bottle of his 2014 Malvasia Bianca. (Hopefully, Heather will review her bottle of this soon; it was part of an Arizona Wine Evangelism pack I sent her a while back, along with a few other fun bottles.)

Here, we see the 2014 Malvasia Bianca from Sand-Reckoner in its natural habitat, at the edge of the Verde River.

The Wine: Sourced from the Willcox Bench, the 2014 Malvasia Bianca is a blend of 50% Malvasia Bianca from Rob’s Estate vineyard, and 50% from Rolling View Vineyard, down the road. The grapes spent an average of 12 hours soaking on the skins. This vintage was barrel fermented in neutral oak, and aged on the lees for 8 months. This wine is a bright, cheerful straw or sunflower yellow in color.

The Nose: The nose opens up with notes of straw, elderflower, honeysuckle, jasmine, grass, and vanilla, intermingling with notes of pineapple and apricot.

The Palate: The palate is also intensely grassy, with additional notes of jasmine, honeysuckle, honeydew melon, wood, Meyer lemon, with high acidity. The finish is short, lasting for 44 seconds, but packed with floral notes, mango, and the intense minerality I associate with white wines from Willcox.

The Pairing: As with most Malvasia vintages, you can easily pair this wine with Thai Food. However, Hatch Green Chilis are in right now, and the flavor profile of this unique southwestern food would go well with this unique southwestern wine, so why not make some green chili chicken enchiladas or some fancy mac and cheese with green chili?

Impressions: The 2014 Malvasia Bianca is another home run from Hammelman, a great summer wine. As many of you know, I dearly love Arizona Malvasia, and I feel that Rob is a master with it. This wine is bright and refreshing, like green growing things in the desert, or ent-draught in the morning at Wellinghall. I also suspect this vintage will age quite well, and as it ages, the grassy notes will fade, being replaced by notes of honey, figs, and apricots.

As many of you know, I dearly love Arizona Malvasia, and I feel that Rob is a master with it. This wine is bright and refreshing, like green growing things in the desert, or ent-draught in the morning at Wellinghall. I also suspect this vintage will age quite well. As it ages, the grassy notes will fade, being replaced by notes of honey, figs, and apricots. You could probably cellar this bottle for about six more years quite easily.

Personified, this wine is a hippie gardener, fond of lush, growing herbs and flowers.

Sand-Reckoner finally opened their long-awaited tasting room in the Tuscon Warehouse district this last weekend, and while I sadly was unable to descend from my mountaintop to join them, I did decide to drink yet another one of his lovingly-created Malvasia Bianca vintages. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make that sound like a chore; the 2013 Malvasia Bianca was a delight to drink. I really hope to check out the space soon; from all accounts, it is an absolutely delightful space, located at the Tuscon Warehouse Arts district: 510 N 7th Ave, #170.

The 2013 Malvasia Bianca from Sand-Reckoner is a good wine to sip by a rushing stream.

The Wine: The grapes for the 2013 Malvasia Bianca were sourced from the Sand-Reckoner Vineyard. The grapes were destemmed and then spent 24 hours soaking on the skin. The wine was fermented in neutral oak, with 8 months on the lees. The 2013 Malvasia did not undergo malolactic fermentation. The winemaker, as with all Sand-Reckoner wines, was Rob Hammelman.

The Label: There’s some neat stuff going on here with the label of this wine; I want to talk about it because I think it’s pretty cool. As you may well have guessed, the name Sand-Reckoner is an homage to one of the greatest mathematicians of the ancient world, Archimedes. This particular label features an artistic interpretation by Thomas Ale Johnson of a particular calculus function: a visual homage to this mathematical theme. This function also appears on the label of the Rosé, but in a different color.

The Nose: As with most Arizona Malvasia Bianca, this wine opens with bright, cheerful elderflower and jasmine notes, intermingling with slight lavender, honeydew melon, and pineapple, but also with a strong grassy note that is not present in earlier vintages. This actually took me a bit off guard, as I was not expecting it. (It is not a bad thing! It adds to a strong “springtime” impression.)

The Palate: On the palate, the 2013 Malvasia Bianca is similar to many others; a little bit more full-bodied, thanks to the lees aging. Hints of lilac, honeydew melon, vanilla, jasmine, and elderflower are predominant, as are the aforementioned notes of lemongrass. The classic limestone dust that’s present on most Willcox whites is also to be found on the finish (along with lemongrass, honeydew, and elderflower), which lasts for 49 seconds.

The Pairing: It’s hard for me not to recommend Malvasia with Pad Thai, like I always do, but the grassy notes in this vintage make me wonder about some new and innovative pairing ideas for this wine. A Lemon-Basil pesto chicken dish strikes me as a dish with a lot of potential for pairing with this wine.

Impressions: Once again, a Malvasia I like a great deal, but the unique, grassy character of the nose and palate of this particular vintage remind me of some classic Sauvignon Blanc wines I’ve had from Sancerre–something out of the ordinary for Arizona Malvasia, at least for me. This means new food pairings, new ideas, and new questions:

Is this something that’s actually a normal flavor during the aging process? Is it a result of barrel fermentation? Is it a result of aging on the lees for shorter, rather than longer? Or was it a result of weather conditions in the vineyard that were different in 2013 versus other years? The only answer, of course, is to drink a lot more and compare a lot of notes. I do enjoy wines that force me to think about new questions.

This particular Malvasia is a naturalist–perhaps working with the BLM or the Nature Conservancy in an attempt to restore the desert grasslands that once covered much of the state. She wears a silver necklace with a pronghorn antelope, etched in silver, and earrings in the shape of Kestrels. On her shoulder is a tattoo of a Loggerhead Shrike with an impaled butterfly.

For the Arizona Wine Monk’s Very Special Arizona Statehood Day Podcast (Or, I guess, Valentine’s day Podcast also, or the St. Tryphon’s Day podcast… all three? Sure, why not?), you all finally get to meet my girlfriend, Elizabeth (Bess) Karner. Who wants to be called The Cider Wench.

More importantly, in this podcast, Bess meets Malvasia Bianca, my longest-lasting relationship and girlfriend wine, in the form of the 2011 Private Reserve from Freitas Vineyards, or as she calls it, “Captain Tightpants Bianca.” We also have fun talking about her experiences at the AWGA Gala dinner and awards ceremony, and her impressions of Arizona and our wines, as well as general nerdy things–fans of C.S. Lewis’ more obscure works should also take a listen.

This wine has been reviewed before on the Arizona Wine Monk blog here, so take a look at this original review as well; this was one of my favorite Arizona vintages of Malvasia and it’s sadly no longer available. In fact, this was the very Malvasia that made me fall in love with this grape.

Happy Arizona Statehood Day, guys! And Blessed feast of St. Tryphon the Pruner as well. And, um, St. Valentine’s day if you’re Catholic. (We Orthodox technically don’t celebrate until July.)

Long-time readers know about my penchant for Malvasia Bianca. It’s been a while since I’ve poked at anything from Aridus, and it’s high time I return to one of the largest winery production facilities in Willcox. Aridus began as a custom crush site but has quickly emerged as a winery in its own right. This winery has two tasting rooms; one in Willcox, the other in Scottsdale. One of the last times I was in Scottsdale, I picked up a bottle of the then newly-released 2015 Malvasia Bianca. I had last tasted this wine in the fermentation tank with Leah Shanker, the winemaker, so I was curious about the end result.

The 2015 Malvasia Bianca from Aridus Wine Company in the snow

The Wine: The 2015 Malvasia Bianca was sourced from Al Buhl Memorial Vineyard in the Willcox AVA. This wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks, and fermentation was cut off at 45 grams per Liter of sugar. This, assuming my math is correct (and it’s a big assumption), means that this vintage has 4.5% residual sugar. Aging of this wine also occurred in stainless steel. The wine was put into Alsatian-style split bottles to indicate it’s status as a sweeter wine.

The Nose: The nose of this particular vintage is pretty standard for an Arizona Malvasia. Floral notes of elderflower, jasmine, and lavender are prominent, intermingling with honeydew melon, banana, and baking spice.

The Palate: The palate of the 2015 Malvasia Bianca is overall quite similar to an average Arizona Malvasia. Notes of elderflower, apple, honeydew melon, lime, and jasmine fill the palate. It is the finish of this wine that is unique; filled with notes of flint, honey, banana, baking spices, and sugar. The finish lasts for 55 seconds. It did not seem as acidic as most varietal wines made with this grape, but that could be a result of the residual sugar.

Another look at the bottle in the snow. This overall reminds me of some wines from Alsace and Mosel.

The Pairing: A dear friend of mine sent me some shortbread cookies with cinnamon and nutmeg for Christmas, and they paired perfectly with this wine. This was a happy coincidence. The fact that this is a sweeter version of this grape means this will pair well with cheesecake, or creme brulee as well. You could also pair this like a traditional Malvasia with particularly spicy Thai food as well.

Impressions: I don’t have a sweet tooth, so for me, the 2015 Malvasia Bianca was just way too sweet. I hate to say this, but this is probably my least favorite Malvasia Bianca in the state at this time. (It’s just not my palate!)

That being said, if you’re a sweet wine drinker, this vintage will be a perfect opportunity for you to discover one of the best grapes grown in Arizona. Or, for that matter, if you have a dessert party coming up and need some local wines, this will be perfect. This wine reminds me a great deal of some classic German rieslings; lovers of that varietal need to examine this vintage as well. This is a gateway Malvasia.

I feel like this Malvasia is a little girl in a colorful german-style dress, her hair done in pigtails, dancing through a meadow.

High above the Verde Valley is Maynard’s vineyard near Jerome, known as the Judith Block, named for his mother. On this site is planted Tempranillo, Nebbiolo, Aglianico (if I remember rightly), and, of course, Malvasia Bianca, my truest and dearest love. This vineyard has a completely different terroir than the other vineyards in the Verde, and I’m always excited to taste the town I call home. Last weekend, Caduceus released the latest vintage of the White Judith. Naturally, I had to pop in and take a look.

2015 Nagual del Judith White.

The Wine: The 2015 White Judith is 100% varietal Malvasia Bianca. As mentioned above, the grapes came from the Judith Block, in Jerome. At 4,800 feet, this is one of the highest vineyards in the Verde Valley. The vines are, if I remember rightly, planted on the Devonian Martin Formation. The grapes were whole-cluster pressed. Part of the wine underwent fermentation in stainless steel at 52° F; the other part was fermented in neutral French oak puncheons at 65° F. The Judith has a slight greenish tinge, compared to, say, the Freitas Malvasia from the bottom of the valley (although this is also partly a result of aging). This wine was certified by the Arizona Vigneron’s Alliance, and made by MJ Keenan.

The Nose: The2015Judithopensonthenosewith floral notes of elderflower, gardinia, and hyssop, intermingling with honeydew melon, seasalt, and lemongrass. As the wine opens, the nose becomes more complex, with notes of honey, lychee, and mint. Overall, the nose feels lighter than those Malvasia Bianca wines coming from the Willcox AVA.

The Palate: This wine opens on the palate with notes of mint, lychee, honeydew, and the rich elderflower you expect from Arizona Malvasia. These notes intermingle with tart lemon merengue and gardenia. As the wine opens, fruit notes intensify. The finish of this wine lasts for 1 minute, 13 seconds, and is filled with notes of white peach, seasalt, and lemongrass.

The Pairing: Servethe2015 Judith White with Swordfish or Tuna steaks with a side of Spanish rice; or do some sort dish with a focus of smoked, roasted Green Chilis. Or Thai food. You really can’t go wrong with Thai food and Malvasia….

Impressions: The Judith Malvasia should cellar for 2-10 years, no problem, thanks to the acidity prevalent in Arizona expressions of this varietal. And it’s worth collecting because a) it’s Arizona Malvasia, and b) it’s from Jerome, and right now this is the only expression of this varietal from my mountaintop abode.

Lighter than its Willcox brethren, this Malvasia is a light ballet dancer, prone to wearing bright colors and dancing either in moonlight, or in light summer showers.

It’s been a while since we’ve explored my Ultimate Bae and fiancée Malvasia Bianca here on the Arizona Wine Monk Blog. That’s my own fault. It’s a long story we won’t get into, other than it involves a woman who’s perfume bore a remarkable resemblance to most Arizona expressions of this varietal, who really did a number on me.

But I’m all better now. I don’t plan on leaving Malvasia Bianca ever again. Malvasia is bae, as I suppose the youngsters might say. And what better way to get back into Malvasia than with one of the best producers of this grape in the state? We reviewed the 2013 vintage a while back, so let’s jump forward in time, shall we?

2014 Malvasia Bianca from Bodega Pierce

The Wine: Like the 2013 vintage, and the 2015 that’s currently at Four-Eight Wineworks, this wine is 100% varietal Malvasia, coming from Rolling View Vineyards. I’m pretty certain that this vintage, like the last, was fermented in stainless steel, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some of it was aged on a little bit of neutral oak as well, as it seems a little fuller bodied than last year’s vintage. The incredible differences between vintages make me wonder if different yeasts are being used each year, or if Malvasia naturally is that varied from one year to the next, based on weather conditions, but I digress. The winemaker was Michael Pierce. The wine itself is the lovely, cheerful sunshine yellow of an average local Malvasia Bianca; a wine itself which was once described to me as “liquid sunlight.”

The Nose: What’s particularly interesting to me is that every vintage is so incredibly different. The 2013 vintage was quite floral on the nose, and 2014 is decidedly not. (The 2015 in Four-Eight currently is also different, being entirely tropical fruit.) Instead, notes of lemon-lime and apple form the opening salvo, along with tropical fruit such as starfuit, pineapple and banana. As the wine opens up, these notes begin intermingling with flint, chamomile, and white tea, and the slightest hint of gardenia and lavender.

The Palate: Notes of chamomile, white tea, and starfruit are particularly prominent in this vintage on the palate as well; with hints of elderflower, jasmine, and rose intermngling with the tropical fruit and tea. As the wine opens, these floral notes intensify, and intermingle with flint and dust. As the wine opens up, notes of honey emerge on the palate. The finish of this Malvasia lasts for 1 minute and 19 seconds.

The Pairing: I feel like this wine will be a great breakfast or brunch pairing with huevos rancheros or a green chili omlette. I feel this would also be a great wine to pair with a gyro too; the subtle flavors of the wine will play with properly-made tzatziki sauce. For a vegan or vegetarian pairing, Pad Thai will also work splendidly.

Impressions: As I stated before, I’m struck by how different each vintage of Malvasia from this vineyard is. Does this grape vary so much by climate? Are different yeasts used every year? Is it both? I wasn’t able to reach Michael Pierce to comment about the yeasts used in the different vintages in time for this post to go live, but hopefully he’ll be able to tell me one way or the other.

If you want to try Malvasia, but don’t particularly care for Floral whites, this one is a good one to begin your explorations with. This particular Malvasia feels more masculine than other expressions, so much so that I would declare this vintage to be a blonde gentleman and scholar of the Crusades. He has a tan from just returning from a dig site at a Crusader castle somewhere in Lebanon.

This is part two of the podcast with Tim White and the gang; where everyone decided to ask ME questions. This was way too much fun, and I’d love to do it again, someday. So… next time we get multiple people in a room… this just might be what we do.

In this Podcast, I sit with Tim White, Jason Negron, and some other awesome people associated with Caduceus and Four-Eight Wineworks, focusing on Tim White’s newest Project, Hidden Hand. Malvasia makes herself an appearance, as does a Petit Sirah blend. There’s a follow-up podcast to this where everyone involved asks me questions which will be next up, so stay tuned next week!

For many years, Bonnie Lee was a fixture in the Willcox Wine industry. She worked the Pillsbury tasting room down on the bench, where the vineyards were, bringing smiles and great cheer to all those who visited, as well as her compatriots. Sadly, she died of cancer very recently, and she is still missed by all down there. In memoriam, Pillsbury named this wine after a beloved friend of many in the Willcox wine industry.

2014 “Bonnie Lee” Malvasia and shadowrise from Jerome.

The Wine: The 2014 Malvasia is made from 100% Malvasia. The grapes for this wine were grown on the Willcox Bench, at the Pillsbury Vineyard. The grapes were whole-cluster pressed. The 2014 Bonnie Lee was fermented using wild yeasts, according to James Callahan. Malolactic fermentation was inhibited (as in most AZ expressions of this grape), and the wine was aged in 50% neutral oak and 50% stainless steel.

The Nose: Heavy tropical notes overlay the nose of this wine; bright pineapple and banana intermingle with jasmine, honeysuckle, and cinnamon. The elderflower notes so common in Arizona expressions of Malvasia Bianca are present, but decidedly muted. As the wine opens, however, notes of peach emerge from the glass and the elderflower notes become more prominent.

The Palate: This wine is also more distinctly tropical than many other Arizona Malvasia Bianca vintages. Bright pineapple, passion-fruit, apple, and starfruit form the opening salvo. There’s a pleasingly high acidity here that will make this wine very fun during the hot summer months or with food. The floral notes of jasmine, honeysuckle, and gardenia show up more on the finish of this wine, intermingling with the limestone minerality that we all know and love from Willcox whites, and a hint of nutmeg, oddly enough. The finish of this wine is quite long, lasting for 2 minutes 11 seconds. As the wine opens, Elderflower notes begin to emerge on the forepalate, along with peach.

The Pairing: The fruity notes make me change my tune in terms of normal pairings for this grape. While yes, this wine will still pair well with seafood, you can now graduate to something heavier, like battered cod or maybe an Ahi tuna steak. I’m also intrigued by the idea of pairing this wine with BBQ chicken as the label suggests, though I think I would rather pair this with a lemon-ginger chicken than BBQ. For a vegetarian/vegan pairing, I feel like Thai food with tofu and mango with a lighter set of spices would work quite splendidly.

Impressions: I have to say this is one of the most unique Arizona malvasia wines I’ve tasted. The tropical fruit is so expressive–and that’s something I don’t usually see too much here, where elderflower and jasmine are the usual prominent flavor notes. It sticks out. I’ve met a few people here and there who have expressed a distaste for this grape because of it’s strong floral qualities–and now I have a Malvasia to direct them to.

This wine also raises very big questions. The biggest question this wine raises to me? “Is Elderflower in Arizona Malvasia really a regular characteristic of our terroir here, or is it an artifact of the yeast strains we are using, or is it vintage specific?” Not having a 2014 Malvasia Bianca from Sand-Reckoner at hand (who grows literally across the road from Sam), I can’t determine if this is a characteristic of that particular vintage, either. I do have a 2014 Malvasia from just down the road at Bodega Pierce, so I intend on drinking that wine soon, within the next two weeks, to see if it’s possible that this muted elderflower aspect is a vintage characteristic, or yeast characteristic. More science is required. (which means more drinking. Darn.)

As for the personification of this vintage, I only met Bonnie Lee twice on various trips to Willcox, but I’m comfortable in asserting that with everything I’ve heard of her, this wine is a pretty apt memorial to her.

I first want to apologize for the intensely sporadic nature of my posts lately. Life has gotten busy, and so I don’t have time to post nearly as much as I did previously. Please forgive me. I’m trying to get myself back on a regular posting schedule where I will post at LEAST once a week, if not once every two days, as I did previously. Anyway, enough of that, as we’re here for wine.

We’ve explored Caduceus wines a number of times before, but frankly, that’s because I like them… and the tasting room is more or less four blocks away from where I live in Jerome, so it’s pretty easy to go to the tasting room somewhat regularly (assuming time permits, which lately it hasn’t). Also, frankly, Maynard has done quite a bit for the Arizona wine industry, and he supports it, and the future of the industry, in a way that I only wish I could, in regards to the co-op at Four-Eight Wineworks and the Southwest Wine Center.

But enough of that. It’s time for some wine, of course.

2012 Primer Paso in front of Jerome.

The Wine: Assuming I remember my limited Spanish correctly, “Primer Paso” means “First Step.” I have no idea what this signifies. What I do know, however, is that the 2012 Primer Paso is a particularly unique take on the Côte-Rôtie style co-fermented wines that are occasionally made here in Arizona, due to the use of Petit Sirah and Malvasia Bianca. (A previous version, available for Velvet Slippers Club members which I’ve never gotten to try is Syrah and Malvasia Bianca alone.) The blend itself consists of 60% Syrah, 33% Petit Sirah, and 7% Malvasia Bianca, coming from Al Buhl Memorial Vineyard down on the Willcox Bench.

The wine underwent open top bin maceration combined with a little bit of a modfied cold carbonic maceration process. (Cold-soaking, in other words.) The wine was cask and puncheon aged for 18 months in new and neutral French oak, but the information regarding the percentage of new oak vs. neutral is unavailable. If I had to guess, I would say this wine was aged on no more than 25% new oak. While Côte-Rôtie style Syrahs are usually darker than average ones, this one is darker still, due to the influence of Petit Sirah; a shade of dark garnet red.

The Nose: The 2012 Primer Paso opens with notes clearly influenced by the Malvasia in this blend: jasmine, and a little bit of honeysuckle, intermingling with myrrh, vanilla, cassis, sour black cherry, black pepper, clove, cliff rose, and monsoon petrichor. As the wine opens up, the Petit Sirah in this blend makes itself noticed with subtle hints of bergamot, and black tea leaves.

The Palate: This wine opens with a juicy boysenberry and black cherry salvo that intermingles with rosemary, vanilla, cedar, cloves, honeysuckle, and latakia pipe tobacco. There’s still a lot of tannins present here, so I do feel this wine could benefit from further aging. The finish of this wine is long and languid, clocking in at 2 minutes 35 seconds, with Petit Sirah influenced notes of bergamot, and black tea, along with cloves, cinnamon, and granite.

The Pairing: With more tannins present in this wine, one could pair this wine with bigger meals. Elk steaks, or an elk pot roast with mushrooms is one meal that immediately comes to mind, but you could even pair this with lamb, or certain cuts of steak, like a New York Strip. You want something equally rich for your vegetarian or vegan pairing: mushrooms, slow roasted in red wine with peppers and jackfruit.

Impressions: I honestly think that while I may well have opened this wine a little young, its peak is rapidly approaching–in a year or two, at most. There’s still lots of tannins here, so I would recommend decanting this wine for at least an hour prior to imbibing.

Yet, at the same time, the 2012 Primer Paso is just fine and dandy as a slow-sipper on a languid afternoon with a big meal, followed perhaps with a pipe of your favorite tobacco… Or just outside on a lovely evening, on your porch for that matter. I have to admit, this wine is more or less my go-to wine whenever i want a glass of wine at Caduceus (this and Le Cortigane Oneste, but that’s a wine made from New Mexico grapes so I won’t be reviewing it here), so I’ve been fond of it for a while.

I have to say I also must categorize this differently from most other Côte-Rôtie style wines in the state, due to the presence of the Petit Sirah. It’s not feminine, like so many others–there is a distinct masculine element here that plays well with the feminine qualities of Malvasia and Syrah. In fact, I almost feel like this wine is kind of like a married couple, perhaps that one married couple you know that somehow, magically, always seems to have everything together. Sure, rough times may hit, but they always weather through the storm. Years may pass, but there they are, together, standing against the world with their various inside jokes and wry smiles.

So… I think this wine might just be my parents as a unit, which is a sentence I never thought I’d say. Which may also be why I’ve always found this wine to be deeply comforting, somehow.